HPF:Draft class 2006:The kids are alright

October 25, 2006
The Kids Are Alright
by Bob Hulsey
HoustonProFootball.com

Want a reason to be optimistic about your Houston Texans? Try this: The Texans had a really good draft. Yeah, I know. Saying it is the best draft in Texans history is like saying Rice is having one of their best football seasons in recent memory.

You couldn't look at the upset victory over Jacksonville without seeing the large role played by the 2006 draft class. Even if the Texans draft was the bastard child of a novice head coach and a lame duck general manager, the early returns are very encouraging.

Let's start with middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans. He has assimilated so quickly that we don't even notice how he leads the team in tackles. Ryans will be even better with a bit more NFL experience and a better supporting cast around him.

That's our second round choice. So what about the first choice, defensive end Mario Williams? Is he ever going to live up to the lofty status of first overall pick? Well, probably not.

Williams is becoming more of the disruptor we hoped he'd be when he was drafted, but he still has a long way to go. If you review recent overall number one defensive linemen, you'll see more failures than successes. For every Bruce Smith, there are Steve Emtmans and Courtney Browns. Some, like Russell Maryland and Dan Wilkinson, have had solid but not spectacular careers, and this is where I suspect Mario Williams will eventually be. He is not so fast as to demand double teams, and he is not so strong as to consistently overpower offensive tackles

Nice review, although I believe that Mario will be more than just a "productive player". This is what I like most about the article though:

"On an unrelated note, will the Texans ever get a clue and drop the Steel Blue jersies for the more successful Battle Red ones? As the Texans try to shed the image of the NFL's dumpster divers, perhaps a wardrobe makeover should help that effort. Disregarding the 2005 disaster, the Texans play much better in red so why not make it the official jersey next year? The Patriots got better when they switched from red to blue. Maybe our luck will change doing the opposite. It would be one way to separate the new regime from the old one in the eyes of the consumers. The best way to appear like the "new" Texans is to look less like the "old" ones."